The impact of publication on freshwater pearl mussel conservation: To conceal or to reveal the location of threatened habitats?

Abstract

Abstract The freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, is a threatened species. One of the threats faced by this species is direct extermination by poachers, and therefore some researchers conceal information on the locations of pearl mussel habitats. For example, some researchers do not publish the names of the rivers where pearl mussels occur, whereas other researchers do. Concealing the names of rivers containing pearl mussels makes them unknown not only to potential offenders but also to administrators, nature conservation practitioners, and ordinary citizens. As a result, no protection measures are undertaken, which is all the more regrettable as damage to pearl mussel habitats can occur accidentally. Concealing details of the location of pearl mussel habitats in publications has an adverse impact on the work of specialists, as they do not have access to enough information to study and analyse the biology and distribution of these molluscs. One river with pearl mussels in the Gulf of Finland was initially described anonymously (as ‘River B’). Unfortunately, the river was subject to severe human impact, and the largest aggregation of pearl mussels was almost exterminated in the process of constructing a new electric supply line. Concealing information on pearl mussel habitats in the Russian section of the Baltic Sea basin was also shown to have been a poor decision. Although the threat from potential poachers was insignificant because of the low commercial value of pearl mussels, the authorities remained uninformed about the existence of valuable habitats. The question of whether the locations of pearl mussel habitats should be concealed or revealed in scientific publications does not have an unambiguous answer and should be considered on a case‐to‐case basis; however, the cases for which disclosure is reasonable seem to be more numerous.